Key Takeaways
1. Instructions define the outcome, not the flowchart.
- When instructing an agent, the goal is to create a high-level Standard Operating Procedure (SOP), not a rigid, deterministic flowchart. Agentic systems use reasoning to figure out the how on the fly.
- Your focus must be on defining the desired outcome of each step, allowing the agent's intelligence to adapt to unexpected situations, much like giving a GPS a destination rather than turn-by-turn directions.
2. Anchor the instructions with trigger and successful outcome.
- Start documenting the flow by clearly defining the Trigger (what action starts the agent's job, for example customer request, system alert) and the Successful Outcome (the desired end state, for example, "happy customer with a confirmed rebooking").
- Defining the start and end points first ensures that the step-by-step instructions remain focused and purposeful toward achieving the high-value goal.
3. Align the steps with the agent’s cycle
- Each step in the instructions should be categorized into one of the four agent cycle types:
- Sensing: the agent captures input (for example, receiving data from the 'Classifier' agent).
- Reasoning: the agent processes data, makes decisions, or figures out something (for example, analyzing the request to form a plan).
- Acting: the agent triggers or executes an action in a system or with another agent (for example, making a booking change).
- Learning: the agent adapts based on experience or feedback (for example, logging outcomes to improve future prioritization).
- A complete flow should ideally include all elements, often starting with Sensing and ending with Learning.
4. Integrate Human-in-the-Loop and tools explicitly.
- The step-by-step instructions must explicitly document Human-in-the-Loop steps (based on the risk assessment) and detail which Tools and Data (from the Job Profile exercise) are used at each point.
- For instance, a Reasoning step may need connecting to the travel booking system (Tool) before an Acting step executes the change, or a Learning step may involve requesting human feedback.
5. Reference the assembly line to review the entire process
If you have multiple agents, once all individual agent instructions are complete, review them collectively across the team. Use the Assembly Line template as the master map to walk through the complete end-to-end workflow, ensuring that all tasks are covered by the correct agent. Also ensure that the handoffs and sequencing between the specialists are logical and aligned with the intended process.